Long time Buffalo Gap fire chief Frank “Hap” Schroth hung up his helmet and retired after 55 years with the fire service a few weeks ago, but that didn’t keep him from showing up at the scene of a grass fire near the eastern Custer County community on a recent Sunday.
“You can’t fully retire,” commented life-long friend and fellow firefighter Gerald Hanson of Hot Springs. “He couldn’t stay away. It’s in his blood.”
It all started with saving a spring.
Oonagh Wood of Pringle has earned the title of South Dakota Tree Farmer of the Year for the second time, thanks to a timber management program that began with rehabilitating a dried-up spring on a ranch near Argyle about 30 years ago.
“It produced copious amounts of water,” said Wood of Brown Spring on her 1,280-acre ranch near Argyle Road in southern Custer County. “But all of a sudden it quit!”
10 years ago, 2011 — Weekend visitation to Sylvan Lake had exploded, causing problems with parking and emergency access ... Gold Discovery Days parade winners were Patriotic: Lawana Gramm, Historical: Justin Dorrance, Commercial: Mick’s One Stop Liquor, Organiza-tions: Custer Area Chamber of Commerce ... Two county post offices were facing possible closure: Fairburn and Pringle.
Thursday, July 29
Custer State Park Activity - Dutch Oven Cooking, 9-11:30 a.m., Custer Elementary Gym
Custer County Library Teen Program, “Let’s Talk Pets,” 3 p.m., Custer County Library
Civil Air Patrol, 6:30 p.m., Custer County Airport
Saturday, July 31
Farmers Market, 8 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m., Way Park
Sunday, Aug. 1
Custer Community Action Team Food Distribution, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., CAT building, corner of N. 6th and Lincoln streets
Thursday, June 24
1 p.m.: A deputy assisted fire units in locating a possible wildland blaze north of Pringle. The report turned out to be false.
3:14 p.m.: A very minor two-car collision was reported on the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park. No injuries happened there.
2:16 p.m.: A deputy cruised the downtown Custer area looking for trouble after a 911 open-line call came from there. No trouble was found.
3:20 p.m.: Deputies checked the welfare of a person at Comanche Park Campground. The person appeared to be all right.
10 years ago, 2011 — Gold Discovery Days queen was Ashley Schultz. Princesses were Alisha Schultz and Jessy Harbach ... Gold Discovery Days parade marshals were Dave and Joyce Hazeltine and Marge Baldwin ... Karl Von Rump came to the county commission with a litany of complaints, mostly about construction noise, concerning his neighbor, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Saturday, June 19
7:06 p.m.: A loose dog was reportedly running around a downtown Custer grocery store. A deputy arrived just in time to see the owner pick up the pooch.
South Dakotans battling addiction to opioids are increasingly relying on medication-assisted treatments to overcome their cravings for the dangerous drugs and to avoid potentially deadly overdoses.
However, access to the life-saving medications is limited in South Dakota and some physicians in the state are reluctant to prescribe the drugs that have shown great promise in overcoming opioid abuse. Meanwhile, addiction experts and some law enforcement officials are trying to break down barriers to wider use of the treatments.
Thursday, July 15
Custer State Park “Leave No Trace” Activity, 9-11:30 a.m., Custer Elementary School Gym
Sloth Backpack Buddies Program, 3 p.m., Custer County Library
Gold Discovery Days Carnival, 5-10 p.m., Washington Street
Civil Air Patrol, 7 p.m., Custer County Airport
